


Mister Rogers, Eat Your Heart Out

by Daphnean



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Neighbors, M/M, Romantic Comedy, Romantic Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-16
Updated: 2017-12-16
Packaged: 2019-02-15 15:59:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,207
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13034568
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Daphnean/pseuds/Daphnean
Summary: Chanyeol's neighbor brings over a cake and inadvertently starts a war.





	Mister Rogers, Eat Your Heart Out

“You’re really going to use the smaller room as your bedroom, Yeol?” Baekhyun asked, looking around with a scrutinizing scrunch to his face.

Chanyeol, too eager to unpack now that he’d fully moved in, spared a glance up at his friend as he shoved socks into his dresser. “I mean, I just sleep here. I don’t need all the space like for all my instruments.”

“Well, good thing I found your sex toy box earlier and know now none of your kinks require lots of bedroom to use.” Baekhyun was currently sprawled out on the floor beside the bed, which Chanyeol would argue meant there was still plenty of space for even the kinkiest of souls, but he was too flustered at the fact he’d been so careless earlier and allowed his nosiest friend to carry his unmentionables box.

Tossing a pair of socks at his head, Chanyeol felt his face heat up to the tips of his ears. “I’m going to find a way to order pizza with cucumber on it now, asshole.”

He missed Baekhyun’s face, but did hit his chest with the sock ball, and Baekhyun faked a pained cry. “So violent. We don’t even have a safe word yet!”

Chanyeol was about to tease Baekhyun further when a knock interrupted their conversation. He frowned. “Did Jongdae forget something?”

Baekhyun stood first, offering Chanyeol a hand up. “I don’t think so. Maybe it’s one of your neighbors?”

“Guess we’ll find out.” Chanyeol hoped he didn’t look too bad for someone who’d just finished moving in that day. Running a hand carefully through his hair to smooth it, he padded to the door.

Baekhyun had beaten him to it, looking through the peephole. Surprisingly, he kept his voice down. “He looks angry. Shit. What did you do? You just moved in.”

Moving his friend aside, Chanyeol stooped to look out as well. Baekhyun hadn’t been lying. The man outside his door didn’t look happy, and he had something in his arms covered in plastic wrap. Anxiety churned in his belly. This house being up for rent was such an amazing opportunity for Chanyeol and his music that the idea of anything souring it before he even had a chance to enjoy it made him really feel sick. Hopefully whatever had upset his neighbor would be easy enough to remedy.

Like pulling off a band-aid, Chanyeol stepped back quickly and opened the door. “Umm. Hey.”

It was almost blinding how differently the man looked when he smiled. It was heart shaped, his eyes crescenting in response. Chanyeol felt Baekhyun come up beside him, ever curious. The man shifted the pan in his arms and now that he wasn’t obscured by the view from the peephole, it was obvious he’d come bearing gifts. Chanyeol felt a little foolish for jumping to conclusions.

“Hello. I’m your neighbor on the right, Kyungsoo.” He smiled a little softer now, but it still left his face so much warmer than before. “I just thought I’d bring you a little cake as a welcome to the neighborhood gift.”

Baekhyun was cooing; Kyungsoo was so his type. Chanyeol could already feel his friend vibrating with the urge to give his neighbor his number. “People still do that? That’s sweet.”

Elbowing Baekhyun playfully, Chanyeol took the offered cake. “What Baek means to say is thank you. Seriously, this is such a nice gesture. I’m Chanyeol and this is my friend Baekhyun. Assume everything he says wasn’t thought through beforehand.”

“I’d argue with him, but he’s right.” Baekhyun only grinned, unabashed.

Kyungsoo laughed, soft and brief. Chanyeol felt his insides goo like warm ice cream. The guy had barely said two sentences and he was already melting. “Noted. I just wanted to introduce myself and let you know that I’m just next door if you need anything. I won’t stay long, I’m sure you have a lot of unpacking to do.”

Chanyeol groaned. “I’m only pushing through it because I want it done.”

“Well, I’ll leave you to it then. Oh, and just in case of any allergies or the like, I made the cake gluten-free and vegan. It’s chocolate with vanilla not-buttercream.” Kyungsoo shifted a bit on the porch.

Baekhyun was already peeking under the plastic wrap. “What the heck is in it then, if it essentially is made of nothing?”

“Thanks again, Kyungsoo. I’m sure I’ll see you around, yeah?” Chanyeol smiled, aware it was a little more toothy than he had intended, but he really couldn’t help himself. Kyungsoo was absolutely delightful.

His neighbor gave them both a polite little nod of his head. “I’m sure you will. Have a nice evening.”

Before the door had even fully closed, Baekhyun was sucking frosting from his index finger. “Mm. Shit, I didn’t expect it to actually taste good. I think your neighbor’s a wizard.”

“I think we both know that really he’s hot as hell.” Chanyeol used his height to pull the pan from Baekhyun’s reach, before heading into the kitchen to leave it on the counter till after dinner.

Baekhyun groaned, but not from the loss of the cake. “I know. All brows and scowls one minute then bam, that smile hits you like a truck. And he baked a cake? Made of nothing but good intentions and sugar for you? I’m moving in too. I can always share the couch with Toben, right?”

Returning to the living room, Chanyeol flopped onto the couch, Baekhyun following his lead and taking the other arm for himself. “I don’t know. You’re pretty messy. I don’t need help with that. Plus how’s it going to work if we both are lusting after Nice Neighbor Kyungsoo?”

“I’d offer a threesome, but neither of us are down for poly. Plus you and I together?” Baekhyun’s face said volumes on his thoughts on that idea. Chanyeol mirrored that sentiment.

Tugging his phone from his pocket, Chanyeol decided this was the perfect time for a distraction. “I think that this calls for pizza.”

The topic change was welcome, but after dinner, as they shared nearly the whole cake between themselves, Chanyeol couldn’t help but think back to the sweet, small man next door with every delicious bite.

\--

In the throes unpacking and returning to work, Chanyeol had forgotten all about his new neighbor, even if he still had his cake pan sitting on his drying rack. The daycare had gotten several new families joining, and Chanyeol always regarded this adjustment period as the new kids “acclimating to the pack.” New personalities and quirks sometimes meshed beautifully, but more often than not it left a lot of clashing as the pre-k hierarchy was disrupted.

Today had been particularly brutal, as one of their new arrivals was sick, leaving his twin brother alone at the center. Youngmin many times had been flustered by all the other kids wanting to play and even had a bit of a tantrum when one of the kids tried to sit beside him without asking. Apparently even with his brother at home sick, his chair was not free to be used. It hadn’t been a horrible shift, but it had been one of the less rewarding days at his job.

While he had been itching to come home and play a little to unwind, Chanyeol knew that walking Toben had to come first. Putting the dog’s leash on, he led Toben out onto the sidewalk. Chanyeol was thankful that this was much easier than before when he lived on the fourth floor of his apartment building with no elevator as it had been a historic building downtown.

Toben walked slowly, sniffing along the lawn. It was getting a little shaggy for sure. Chanyeol needed to get to mowing it, but the idea of coming out in the summer heat for lawncare didn’t sound in the slightest bit appealing. Plus he still hadn’t gotten to buying a lawnmower yet. Spending the extra cash to have it mowed was starting to be an appealing notion.

Suddenly, Toben was tugging on his leash, little tail wagging wildly behind him as he let out a sharp bark with excitement. When Chanyeol looked up, he saw two other poodles approaching, both looking just as eager to sniff and mingle as Toben. Chanyeol shared his pup’s sentiment when he saw their owner was none other than Kyungsoo.

“I didn’t know you had a dog too.” Kyungsoo spoke first, smile pleasant and friendly. “My two are Mongmul and Huchu.”

Chanyeol let Toben sniff all around the other dogs, thankful none of them seemed too riled, just curious. “This is Toben. Like Beethoven.”

Kyungsoo’s smile was just as charming as Chanyeol remembered. “That’s cute. I’m not near that creative.”

“I think they’re cute.” He also thought their owner was just as cute, but he had some self control and was able to keep that thought to himself. “Oh, shit. Your cake pan! I’m so sorry; I meant to bring it back days ago.”

Waving off the apology, Kyungsoo continued smiling. “It’s not like I need it back right away or I would have said something.”

“I can go run back and get it,” Chanyeol countered quickly. Being lazy was not going to win him points with his hot neighbor.

Kyungsoo laughed this time and hopeless Chanyeol felt himself swooning. He’d had less than two conversations with the guy and he was already doomed. “Chanyeol, I’m your neighbor. How about we walk our dogs together and when we get back to our houses, you run in and grab it?”

“Oh.” Chanyeol grinned. “Makes a lot more sense, huh?”

The shorter man nodded. “It was good though?”

“Very,” Chanyeol was quick to reply. “I’d never really had anything vegan before. Especially not a cake.”

“My sister-in-law has a lot of allergies and sensitivities, so I picked up some substitutions and recipes while catering to her. It’s worth it to see her light up when there’s food at family gatherings she can actually eat.” Kyungsoo got both of his dogs’ attention, leading them back into walking.

Toben followed suit, staying next to his new friends. Chanyeol easily paced himself beside Kyungsoo, used to walking next to shorter friends thanks to Baekhyun and Jongdae.

“So how do you like the neighborhood then, Chanyeol?” Kyungsoo asked once they settled into their walk.

Chanyeol sighed. “It’s perfect. Well, compared to before anything really would be.”

“That bad?” Kyungsoo stopped walking to untangle his dogs’ leashes, before continuing. “Until I bought my house I rented out a room and honestly, that’s a fresh hell I don’t intend on reliving anytime soon.”

Toben was sniffing around a fence, Huchu right beside him while Mongmul stayed close beside them. Chanyeol looked back over at Kyungsoo and sighed. “Tell me about it. The toddler upstairs had some sort of deathwish for sleep. And then there was an angry man across the hall who hated the Sox with a passion despite them being his favorite team…and then next door was like a rotating door. I swear every other week someone new moved in. Baekhyun always said it was haunted.”

“So I take it that the house has felt like paradise then?” Kyungsoo took both of the leashes briefly in one hand so he could run the other through his hair. It looked thick, soft. Chanyeol was pretty sure petting his neighbor’s hair on the second meeting wouldn’t get him a third, so he resisted the urge.

“Oh yeah. I’m still adjusting to having an extra bedroom for recording. I can actually play and sing anytime I want and not worry about upsetting anyone.” Chanyeol was the one to stop them this time, leaning down to tie his shoe.

Kyungsoo took Toben’s leash. “Here. Makes things a little easier. So you’re a musician?”

“Thanks. And nothing professional, but it’s a big passion of mine. I play, compose, sing.” It was odd, looking up at Kyungsoo after several minutes of looking down. “Before I couldn’t play too late because I’d disturb people, but it was always too loud in the building during the day to get a solid recording in. Couldn’t win for losing.”

“Ah.” Kyungsoo nodded thoughtfully. “I haven’t really sang since choir in college. Well, besides the occasional karaoke night and in the shower.”

Standing back up and taking Toben’s leash, he gave a grateful smile. “You sound like you’d have a gorgeous singing voice.”

Well. That was subtle. Chanyeol wanted to facepalm, but that wouldn’t help anything.

Luckily, it rewarded him with another million dollar smile as Kyungsoo tilted his head thoughtfully. “I guess you’ll have to hear it yourself to find out, but thank you.”

Chanyeol was a little bummed to see that they’d already rounded back to their street. Conversation was flowing pretty easily between them, and it wasn’t like chances like this were always going to happen. Chanyeol was not near consistent enough to walk Toben at the same time every day.

Coming up towards his house, it was fairly clear his lawn was in need of attention. Chanyeol felt suddenly self-conscious about it. It didn’t help that Kyungsoo’s lawn was immaculate, lush and forest green.

“I bet your old building meant you had no grass at all, yeah?” He stopped in front of Chanyeol’s drive. “Is it too forward for me to suggest mowing it for you?”

Chanyeol balked, “You don’t have to!”

Kyungsoo chuckled, waving a hand as if it was nothing at all. “I have a lawnmower and the time. It isn’t as if you have a big yard.”

“Time to do a whole other lawn every week?” He still felt like he was floundering for words, mentally flailing with red flags in both hands.

“I work from home, so I do actually. I can just do it right after I do mine.” Kyungsoo’s smile was so sincere that Chanyeol had no doubts he meant his offer.

Toes of his sneakers digging into the sidewalk, Chanyeol conceded. He couldn’t help it; it was such a sweet offer and honestly at this point Kyungsoo could ask if he could use Chanyeol for archery practice and he’d probably agree. Maybe.

Sighing, he surrendered. “If you’re sure…I could make you lunch or something on one of my days off?”

“If you want to. But no pressure.” Mongmul let out a big yawn, Kyungsoo crouching down to pet his ears. “It’s almost naptime, huh?”

Chanyeol wanted to coo at how precious Kyungsoo was with his dogs. This much infatuation had to be unhealthy. He felt a song dancing in his fingers, itching to come out. “We probably should head in too.”

“Have a nice night, Chanyeol. I’ll see you around soon. And I’ll get to your lawn Saturday.”

Waving slightly, Chanyeol was already making his way up to his door. “You too. And thanks again. You’re the best.”

It was only when he started taking off Toben’s leash did he realize that he’d totally forgotten Kyungsoo’s pan. Groaning, he smooshed his face into his little pup’s fur. “I’m a mess. But hey, this means I get to talk to him again, right?”

Toben just turned back and licked his cheek. Somehow, Chanyeol thought the gesture was patronizing.

\--

He did remember to bring the pan back the next day, but in an internal game of one-uping him, Kyungsoo sneakily invited him in for lunch. Which not only was delicious (and homemade), but meant Chanyeol also got to see how much tidier the other man’s house was. Being competitive wasn’t going to win him any favors, but he just couldn’t help it. If this was a war, Chanyeol was going to honor the old saying and kill Kyungsoo with kindness.

The next morning, he heard the lawnmower start next door and took off his headphones. Beelining for the kitchen, he took out the lemons he bought the previous evening and started to juice them. Toben sat on the mat near the sink, watching him. Chanyeol could feel his puppy judgment.

“Look, I have to impress him somehow. If that means I have to make some lemonade, I’ll gladly open a stand.”

Toben just blinked at him.

Chanyeol sighed. “Don’t you start. Jongdae’s gonna screech laugh at me when he finds out.”

A few minutes later and after tasting his work, Chanyeol was actually pretty pleased. It tasted a lot better than the powdered stuff he usually bought. Kyungsoo was sure to appreciate it. Pouring a nice tall glass, he jammed on some flip flops and stepped out.

As soon as he caught sight of Kyungsoo mowing, he realized his mistake. It was hot out and made perfect sense that in this weather Kyungsoo would be in just a tight, sleeveless shirt and shorts.

Chanyeol stopped on the first step down from his front porch and gaped, actually full on catching flies wide at the man still mowing. For someone as short as Kyungsoo, he certainly was thick and broad. And now he was sweaty and underdressed.

Looking down at the lemonade, Chanyeol felt like he’d brought a knife to a gunfight.

Recovering as deftly as he could, he bolstered some courage and walked towards Kyungsoo with purpose. He put on his biggest smile and waved, lemonade safely in his other hand. Kyungsoo looked up and frowned briefly, before smiling and stopping the mower.

“Thanks again for getting the lawnwork for me.” Chanyeol held the glass out proudly. “Thought you could use something to drink.”

Kyungsoo took the glass and pressed it to one of his cheeks briefly before taking a long drink. Chanyeol’s gaze fell to the bob of his Adam’s apple and the way sweat started to darken the color of his shirt. He wished he’d brought a glass for himself now as his mouth felt too dry.

“That’s so refreshing. Did you make it yourself?” Kyungsoo’s smile was relaxed; half-empty glass now pressed to his other cheek.

Chanyeol’s pride swelled in his chest. “I did, actually. It’s the least I could do, as you kind of are the perfect neighbor.”

Kyungsoo’s laugh was shy; Chanyeol found it was warming in a different way than the summer sun. It was comforting; like a shirt fresh from the dryer or how his hands felt around a mug of hot chocolate.

“I’m just doing the right thing. My mom’s the one you should really thank.” Kyungsoo took another drink, smile still visible around the rim of the cup.

“Give me her address and I’ll write her a note.” Chanyeol ran a hand through his hair, pleased for once that he had the upper hand.

Kyungsoo chuckled again, handing him back the empty glass. “You’re a charmer, hmm?”

“Baekhyun would argue otherwise…well actually most of my friends would. Maybe I need to rethink my friendships.” It was comfortable for Chanyeol to fall into playful, casual flirting. So far Kyungsoo didn’t seem unresponsive either, just little shy.

“I’d better get back to work. I’d like to finish up before it gets too much hotter.” Kyungsoo wiped his hands off on his shorts. “Thanks again for the lemonade. Maybe…we could order in pizza sometime?”

Chanyeol’s heart jumpstarted at the suggestion. “I’d love that. You could even bring your pups over.”

“Sure, maybe we could hash out a time over…I don’t have your number, do I?” Kyungsoo frowned and reached into his pocket for his phone.

Somewhere in the back of Chanyeol’s head “We are the Champions” started to play in victory. He hadn’t been the one to suggest a future meetup or exchanging numbers, which meant this one sided, hopeless crush might be less fruitless than he thought. “Nope, but we can change that.”

Once they’d settled with each other’s numbers, both men went their separate ways; Kyungsoo to finish the lawn while Chanyeol went inside for a victory lap around his living room. Toben’s judging puppy eyes were much easier to handle knowing that he was a step closer to winning over the man next door.

\--

Their competition continued. Chanyeol bought pizza and they watched _The Force Awakens_ together while their dogs curled in a poodle pile on the floor by their feet the following Friday. Chanyeol had considered himself in the lead of their little game until Kyungsoo sniped him with a double hit of bringing over a package for him delivered to Kyungsoo’s house by accident alongside a homemade lasagna because “he’d made too much.”

Baekhyun now was keeping a scorecard on his phone, Chanyeol filling him in about his exploits, and considered that making them equal once more. Mentally cursing the loss of his lead, Chanyeol took it upon himself to wash Kyungsoo’s car the next day, really working it to a nice shine…only for it rain right afterwards, catching Chanyeol in the downpour as he tried to bring the supplies back into the garage. Kyungsoo greeted him, choking out sympathy between laughs, toweling Chanyeol’s hair for him and offering him warm tea as he waited out the storm.

When he recounted the story to Baekhyun, the traitor pealed with laughter and decided to give the victory to Kyungsoo despite Chanyeol’s efforts.

All the while, Chanyeol was busy with his music, his job, and his dog. Still at the back of his mind he wondered if this was actually bringing him any closer to the other man. Strumming absentmindedly, he thought to their recent conversations. Sure, Kyungsoo seemed to be friendly with him, far more comfortable than just cordial greetings at this point, but even the little bits of flirting Chanyeol managed to throw in didn’t quite seem to reveal anything of Kyungsoo’s feelings, just his. Crush or no crush, Chanyeol didn’t want to seem like a creep or someone taking advantage of Kyungsoo’s kindness.

As most best friends do, Baekhyun must have picked up on his melancholy mood even from halfway across the city. Or maybe his texting had less emojis to indicate his somber mindset, but either way, Baekhyun’s cheery ringtone jolted him from his thoughts.

“Stop it.” Chanyeol sat the guitar aside, flopping back into the couch.

Baekhyun’s grin was audible. “Nope. Maybe you’ll finally believe I’m psychic now.”

“You’re on your way home from work and bored. It’s just coincidence.” Chanyeol smiled as Toben crawled up into his lap. His fingers worked into the poodle’s fur as he crossed his legs, settling further into the cushions. “But seriously…am I being a creep?”

His best friend muttered something under his breath about asshole drivers and then seemingly turned his mental attention back to him. “Is this about Mr. Do next door?”

“Yeah. Just…I mean, we’re just neighbors and I know he’s been nice, but…what if he just intended to throw me a cake and help me out and I’m reading way too much into it.” Chanyeol was a fairly confident guy, but sometimes when it came to reading people, especially when his emotions were involved, he could stumble and land flat on his face easily.

As usual, Baekhyun was a reality check far kinder than sidewalk to the nose. “He offered his number, his lawnmower, his lunch…nowhere have you forced his hand. Had he stopped at the cake alone he would have come across as a nice guy, so don’t let insecurities eat at you just because oh shit you’re really getting feelings. Because that’s what it sounds like to me.”

Chanyeol’s stomach churned at the thought, which meant Baekhyun had narrowed in on the real problem like it was a zit on the middle of his forehead. “That’s…I really think I like him, Baek.”

“Took you long enough. Jongdae’s still gonna lose the bet we have going.” Baekhyun’s cheeky, bright tone was sunshine a thunderstorm. “But hey, seriously Yeol, it’s not hurting anyone with you two playing your Mister Rogers routine. At the end of the day, you’ll either have a cute little boyfriend or have a fun story and a new friend. Let the chips fall and just have a good time.”

Chanyeol closed his eyes, smiling a little easier. “Do I even want to know what the stakes are in this wager involving my love life?”

“Just straight up hard cash and pride, baby. Jongdae’s gonna whine like he did when we kicked his ass bowling on his birthday last year.”

Toben moved up to lick his face and Chanyeol had to laugh at the gesture alongside his best friend’s words. “Thanks, Baek. Still aren’t psychic though.”

“Asshole. I’m almost to my turn, so I’ll see you Sunday for lunch. Keep me posted on any developments.” Baekhyun blew him a kiss before hanging up the phone.

\--

Work had started to get a little busier and Chanyeol actually had a gig with a fellow performer, an awesome jack-of-all-trades musician named Yixing, so the next week was met with far less action than previous ones in terms of Chanyeol’s plan to conquer Kyungsoo. The other man seemed a bit engrossed in his editing work, so besides Kyungsoo coming to mow his lawn and Chanyeol throwing him a wave as he ran out to meet Yixing for a rehearsal, the neighborly war had seemingly come to a standstill.

But nature seemed to have other plans. The end of summer meant the weather was a juxtaposition of blindingly sunny days and harsh evening storms. Even in his thundershirt, Toben was a trembly mess, shaking in Chanyeol’s lap as his owner tracked the weather on his phone. The power had flickered a few times already and Chanyeol didn’t expect it would be much longer until it was down completely.

His prediction ended up being right on the money as the lights died down around them. Toben’s little noises of distress were drowned out by the thunder and Chanyeol whispered to him in soft, low tones. Caught up in puppy reassurance, he almost missed the knock at the door.

Able to settle Toben in on the couch, Chanyeol rushed over to the door, phone flashlight guiding his way in the dark. Kyungsoo, hoodie and pajama pants plastered to his figure, stood with his dogs in his arms, looking so much smaller with his hair dripping against his face.

“Shit, Soo.” Chanyeol ushered them inside, leaving Kyungsoo near the door as he ran into the bathroom to grab some towels. “It’s not safe being outside in this!”

“No, but…my kids do better together, so I thought they could help Toben…” Kyungsoo’s voice trembled just slightly. Despite how hot it had been earlier, the rain must have been like ice. Chanyeol had felt the sharp chill of the breeze when he opened the door.

Returning the gesture from when he’d been caught in the rain before, Chanyeol started to towel the smaller man’s hair. “Toben hates the weather, so that’s probably going to help a lot.”

Already, the little poodle had managed to move from the couch over to sniff at Mongmul and Huchu. None of their tails were wagging, but they all seemed fairly quiet now that they had each other.

Looking back up at Kyungsoo, now alight by both of their cellphones and the candles Chanyeol had arranged on the coffee table before the storm, Chanyeol couldn’t help but feel tension being strung between them taunt like a guitar string. The glow along the shorter man’s cheekbones, the shadows cast by the swell of his mouth; Chanyeol was drawn in like a stormchaser following a cloudy gray skyline.

“Is that really why you came all the way over here?” Chanyeol usually kept everything between them as pleasantries, but maybe it was the electricity charged in the air that had him bolder than before.

Kyungsoo chuckled, still on the entryway mat, probably too conscientious of dripping on the floor. “No.”

Chanyeol watched as his gaze went to the floor and brought the towel from Kyungsoo’s hair to around his shoulders instead. “You came out in the worst storm of the season…must be a pretty compelling reason.”

“I’m a nice neighbor.” Kyungsoo met his gaze again. “But something about you got under my skin.”

That startled a laugh from him, Chanyeol grinning as he brought his hand to the back of his head. “That doesn’t sound like a good thing.”

“I’m not finished.” Kyungsoo continued; the hint of a smile at the corner of his lips. “And then you just kept…everything I did you just had to do better. Or try to, at least.”

“I’m kind of competitive.” Chanyeol tried to seem sheepish, but nothing so far had shamed him yet. “And I’m still way behind if Baekhyun’s scorecard is anything to go by.”

This time, Kyungsoo laughed instead. “He’s keeping score? I realized this past week as the back and forth of our little…whatever it was died down that I…Well, normally on nights like this I sit on the porch and watch the storms as the dogs hide under my chair, but I saw the lights go off in your house and my first thought was how it would be a better view with you by my side.”

Chanyeol pushed a piece of hair from Kyungsoo’s face back behind his ear. “I had a crush on you from the moment I saw you squinting from my peephole.”

“My vision is shit.” Kyungsoo’s laughter was enough to brighten the whole house, even as the power stubbornly stayed off. “I always forget my glasses at my desk.”

Chanyeol’s grin was almost painfully stretching his cheeks now. “I bet you’d look cute in glasses.”

“Are you gonna kiss me now or do I have to get even sappier?” Kyungsoo took a hold of his t-shirt and tugged him close.

Were this a movie, Chanyeol finally kissing Kyungsoo would have been such a momentous event that the power would return, all three dogs barking happily around their feet as the music swelled in celebration. The room stayed dark, the dogs stayed silent, but Chanyeol’s heart did backflips in his ribcage as Kyungsoo’s soft lips finally brushed against his own.

Chanyeol only stopped kissing the other man when his lungs burned in protest, Kyungsoo’s shivering in the doorframe bringing him back to reality. “Want to borrow some clothes and sleepover? We can talk about our crushes and tell ghost stories by candlelight?”

Chuckle a little huskier, gaze warm, Kyungsoo briefly linked their hands. “It’s a date.”

\--

Kyungsoo’s brows scrunched in concentration as he straightened the plastic wrap over the cake pan in Chanyeol’s arms. Chanyeol took the opportunity to kiss the top of his boyfriend’s head, earning a concentrated glare from the shorter man.

“It looks fine, baby.” Chanyeol pressed another kiss, this time to Kyungsoo’s nose. “He’s gonna love it.”

“Of course he will.” Kyungsoo’s smile was always a knockout to his heart, even after all these months of dating. “We’re the best neighbors anyone could ask for.”

Chanyeol grinned. “I don’t think he's prepared for this.”

“Baekhyun should have been taking notes on strategies instead of just keeping score. His loss.” Looking again at the cover over the cake, Kyungsoo nodded in approval. “We’re ready now.”

Shifting the cake pan to one arm, Chanyeol linked their free hands as they walked up towards his former front porch to surprise the new occupant. 

**Author's Note:**

> This was based on a tumblr post I saw a while back about someone having this amazingly nice couple next door and them constantly trying to outdo each other. The idea of it being two singles sprouted in my head and this fic was born. This is shorter than my usual pieces of this sort, but I liked it being just a fluffy, cute little read. 
> 
> Also I have seen Kyungsoo's dogs' names romanized in like eighty different ways so I just picked one and stuck with it. 
> 
> Also again, I apologize for my long hiatus after Kinktober. The past couple months have been a little trying for me, a lot of personal matters, so I've had too much on my plate to focus on writing. I definitely hope to have more pieces out soon. 
> 
> EXO and all other Kpop entertainers presented here are real people and so I remind you that this is just a fic, like a play with their stage personas as the actors. This is not intended to be a representation of who these men and women are or are not. Remember to love and respect them always. And thanks for reading! <3


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